


Cool Dude

by gandalfthesassy



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: (also known as alex tries to write in character), Confession, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Gender Neutral Terms Used, Gender-neutral Reader, M/M, Reader Is Not Frisk, also stop making him into a baby he's not a baby he's a skeleton, because it's a font??, do people not understand that papyrus' all-caps dialogue is all-caps, forgive me but like he's not shouting all the time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-31
Updated: 2016-01-31
Packaged: 2018-05-17 09:57:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5864794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gandalfthesassy/pseuds/gandalfthesassy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's not enough Papyrus/Reader on this site. Here's some fluffy Papyrus/Reader, gender neutral reader, Papyrus is hinted at being demiromantic/aromantic and asexual (because he's a skeleton. don't think I don't see all your sans/reader fics with his like, ectotongue. gross). </p>
<p>Rated G because it's so sweet it'll rot you from the inside out, like candy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cool Dude

You admired the graphic tee as a form of self-expression, of identification and revelation of little parts of oneself to the people who see you. 

A shirt with the text “COOL DUDE” in all caps hardly qualified as a graphic tee. 

“So, why do you wear a shirt that says ‘cool dude’ on it, anyway?” you asked Papyrus from the floor by his racecar bed. At his computer, he spun around in his chair to face you. 

“I just think it’s neat, you know? Because I, frankly,  _ am  _ a cool dude,” he pointed a thumb at himself and sat up straighter. 

“Well, you don’t really need the shirt to explain it. People should be able to tell just by you existing. Shouldn’t they?”

“You’re right! I’m flattered that you think I’m cool, but not everyone is gifted with your astute powers of observation.”

“Hold on. You helped Sans plan that huge birthday bash for Toriel. That was all  _ you _ that did that. Do you remember how many people came up to you afterwards saying, like, “How did you think of this?” and “When’s the next one?” I think that’s the best party that the underground’s seen in ages.” A faint orange glow appeared on his cheeks, and you grinned. “I’m serious. You’re really sweet, Papyrus. Anyone who doesn’t appreciate the work you do doesn’t deserve you as a friend anyway.” 

“You think I’m sweet, human?” He’d totally ignored all of the profound stuff you’d said, but you could tell he got what you meant. 

“Of course you are. If you hadn’t taken me in, I’d still be freezing cold out on the streets of Snowdin.”

“Someone would’ve taken care of you,” he mumbled. You blinked, surprised. His response gave away a kind of insecurity you hadn’t noticed in him before. You got to your feet and walked over to peek over his shoulder.

“I didn’t know you had an account on there.” 

“Eep!” Papyrus squeaked and scrambled to close the tab where, moments before, you could’ve sworn you’d seen search results on Archive of Our Own for “mettaton/reader.” 

“Listen, Pap, are you okay?”

“Yes, human, I’m fine. Is there something I’m doing that’s making you think that I’m not fine? Because if so, I’ll change that immediately--”

“Dude,” you held out a hand, and he paused his rambling. “You know, and I know, that when something’s bothering you, it’s super obvious. It’s the same way with me, and we know that too. When you notice something’s wrong with me, you pick up on it immediately, and suddenly I can’t breathe because you’ve showered me in hot soup and just like, plates of spaghetti, which I never thought could be good for emotional pickup, but it totally works.” You glanced around for a place to sit; you digressed and took a seat on the edge of his bed. He turned to you, hands wrapped up in each other nervously. “Papyrus, I want to be a part of your life as much as you’re a part of mine. You’ve sat still when I’ve told you some really private things, and as far as I can tell you’ve kept them secret. You’ve given me nothing but kindness and positivity. That gets tiring after a while! I’m surprised you’ve managed to be so sweet for so long. Even when I freaked out on you, you, you gave me space and then asked if there was anything you could do, and then you actually did it. But you haven’t told me anything about you, except for that you really like Mettaton and cooking’s your number one hobby and, well, you really like your job. I want you to feel comfortable talking to me like I talk to you.” 

You paused. You couldn’t decipher the emotion on his face. To be fair, he’s a skeleton. You’re surprised you can even guess how he’s feeling at any given time, if he’s not openly sharing his emotions. 

“If you don’t want to be that open with me, I get that, but I really care about you.” 

“(y/n),” he breathed deeply and spoke, with no small amount of difficulty, “remember when we went out to Grillby’s and I kinda, sorta, rejected you out of hand?”

“I forgive you for that,” you told him immediately, truthfully. 

“That was before I had any way of figuring out what I was feeling. To be honest, I still can’t figure out what all these emotions are. But I mean what I said. I think you’re a great human, and you’re an even greater friend!” His smile faltered.

“Do you mean that?” you asked, not out of insecurity, but out of a sudden moment of skepticism. 

“Do I mean what?” 

“That I’m a great human?”

His eyes narrowed for a moment, then he responded, “Oh! Yes. That part I did mean. But we’ve been hanging out a lot lately, and I’ve been trying to ask people why I have all of these emotions. I thought, if I ignored them, they’d go away.”

“But that doesn’t work.” 

“Do you speak from experience, human?”

“Well, I don’t know exactly what you’re feeling, but I know that ignoring stuff, especially emotions, doesn’t help at all. It makes it harder to handle, actually, because you’re too busy not thinking about it.” 

“(y/n)?”

“What’s up?” 

“What am I feeling?”

“Describe it to me.” 

And his mouth went a mile a minute, using all of these catch phrases and analogies (and, you guess, a few song lyrics) that you’d quite honestly never heard of before. But all of them connected to each other in one long, confusing narrative that reminded you of every cute attraction confession fic you’d ever read; no doubt, they’d leaked into his vernacular. When he at last paused, his eyes bored into you. “Well?”

“Well what?” You hadn’t expected to know so quickly what he’d described, but you couldn’t help but say it in your head.  _ It’s love, Papyrus. You’re in love. _ And he wasn’t in love with you.

“It’s strange, because it’s only, it’s only one person,” he concluded. “And it’s very intense, and pervasive, and new. But I should know better than to feel things for someone I rejected.”

“Wait, is this for someone in particular? Who’s it for?” He was about to respond when it occurred to you. “Me. Is it me?” He blushed and looked away, uncharacteristically silent. “Is that why you didn’t want to tell me? Because you’d rejected me?” 

“And you were so distraught over it, and I’d offered to help you get over it. I’d even offered up Sans for you to date!”

“Yeah, that didn’t work. I’m not into monsters who drink ketchup straight out of the bottle.” Papyrus made a noise that approximated to swallowing and he stood up. “What’s up?” 

“Human,” he chose his words carefully, treading the future of the conversation like a minefield, “do you still have feelings for me?” You stared at him. 

“Isn’t it obvious?”

“I’m not blessed with your skill in observation, especially of emotions.”

“I’m not either! But, but everyone’s told me at one point or another that it’s obvious that I’m in love with you. Most obvious is that I think you’re really cool.”

He gasped. “You think I’m cool?!” You would’ve laughed if you hadn’t felt your gut crumble. 

“I think you’re way past cool, as the kids say,” you droned, getting to your feet. “But yeah. I do. I think you’re really, really cool. I think you’re a cool dude, like your shirt says. And all that stuff you described, with all those feelings you couldn’t quite make out, that’s exactly what’s been rolling around in my head these past seven months.” 

He winced. “No wonder it was so hard for you. I can’t imagine feeling that for seven months! I didn’t even notice I had them until a month ago.” 

“It creeps up on you, doesn’t it?” you grinned up at him. “But you’re still a little scared of what you’ll be without that really cool person in your life.” He nodded. “Yeah, Papyrus. I think you’re in love with me, and I feel the same way back.” 

He tried to smile, but something still bothered him. You took one of his hands. He relaxed a little and met your eyes, having accepted his feelings and loving the way they felt, rattling around his SOUL and in his chest. 

“You okay?”

“Does this mean…” he trailed off, losing the right words.

“Mean what?”

“Does this mean we’re technically dating?”

“Do you want to?” 

He glowed orange so harshly, you considered shielding your eyes. “Y-yes, but, I don’t know how to initiate that whole...thing.” 

“Oh! Well, it’s not super complex. It’s like this. Papyrus, do you want to be my boyfriend?” 

He gasped so loudly you thought all of Snowdin would hear you. You found yourself in his arms, swinging around as he practically sang, “Yes! Yes, of course! Oh, human, this is so wonderful!” When he finally set you down, you hugged him tightly, and he reciprocated immediately. 

“If you ever don’t understand what you’re feeling, please just come tell me, okay? Now that we’re in a more serious relationship, I want you to trust me.”

“Human,” he drew back and puffed his chest out, “I’ve always felt that I could trust you more than I trust any other human.”

“You’ve only known like, three humans.”

“Well, okay. I trust you more than I trust...Sans! I love him, he’s my brother, but he definitely seems like the type of guy that tells secrets.”

“I guess so. That means a lot, Papyrus. But you know what would mean even more?”

Panic took over his face. “What?”

“Another hug.” He sighed, and you understood why he’d tensed up. “We can think about doing other stuff at a later date. But I just need a super long hug.” 

“Then, as your boyfriend, it is my duty to fulfill your need for affection!” He hugged you so tightly you could feel your organs pushing back, but you smiled nonetheless. 

“Can I just say you’re going to be the best boyfriend ever?” you spoke, your mouth squished against itself on his chest.

“You bet I am!! The Great Papyrus always succeeds! And I definitely will succeed when I have my bestest friend in the whole world as my...my...um, what should I call you? Not boyfriend, maybe, because that’s what I am...you’re a…"

“Datemate,” you offered. 

“Datemate!” 

“Oh my god.” You giggled and buried your face in his chest. If you had suffocated right there, you wouldn’t have minded. 

You were a skeleton’s datemate. And that was the coolest thing ever.


End file.
